Why we love it: “If there’s one makeup brand you’ll consistently find in my makeup bag, it’s REFY. From my holy-grail Cream Bronzer to its cult Brow Sculpt, the brand just gets natural-looking makeup. So when Skin Base launched back in March, it basically had my name written all over it. A dewy base that promises to make my skin look like my skin, only better? Tick. A Korean-formulated, hydrating gel texture? Another big tick.
“Honestly, this surpassed my expectations. The texture sits somewhere between a skin tint and a traditional foundation – it has a little more body than the super-watery tints I’ve tried, but once I start blending, it feels incredibly light on my skin. I get just enough coverage to even out my complexion, but it doesn’t hide everything underneath, and the finish is so good: fresh, juicy and glowy without making me look like I’ve piled on loads of makeup. There’s hyaluronic acid and Inclusium™ in there too, both there to support hydration and the skin barrier, and the gel texture has a lovely cooling feel when it first hits my skin.
“I’m also slightly obsessed with the packaging. Rather than a normal pump, you push down on the top and the product dispenses directly onto the built-in palette, so I can pick it up with my REFY Duo Brush and blend straight onto my face. It means I can control exactly how much I’m using – and, admittedly, it’s also just quite satisfying. The downside is that the palette gets very mucky, very quickly, so I give mine a wipe after pretty much every use. That aside, if you love natural, dewy makeup as much as I do, this is REFY doing what REFY does best.”
- Shades: 24.
- Finish: Dewy, natural.
- Size: 30ml.
- Tester: Shani Cohen, Glamour’s Beauty Commerce Writer.
Why choose a lightweight foundation?
A lightweight foundation offers up versatility. Not only can they feel like you have barely anything on your skin (perfect for everyday wear), they’re also often buildable, so you can easily adjust coverage whenever you need it. It means even if you’re a fan of going full-glam, you should still consider adding at least one lightweight foundation to your beauty collection.
Top celebrity makeup artist, Naoko Scintu explains: “for me, it’s all about healthy glowing and radiant skin – this is the basis to all my makeup looks. I love a lightweight foundation or skin tint as I want the skin to look like real skin, so a lightweight base is always key.” Meanwhile, Harold notes “a lightweight foundation is a great choice for those who prefer a natural and breathable makeup look. It provides coverage without feeling heavy on the skin, making it ideal for everyday wear and for sensitive skin.”
Which lightweight foundation is for you?
As mentioned, there are many products that fall into the category of lightweight foundations, including tinted moisturisers, skin tints, dewy foundations, matte foundations and more. But which one should you pick depends on both your preference and your skin type.
If you have dry skin, we definitely recommend checking out a tinted moisturiser, but if you’re someone who has oily skin, you might be more interested in foundations with a matte finish. It’s also important to keep in mind that although all of the aforementioned foundations are considered “lightweight,” their coverage levels vary from light-medium to full and buildable.
How to apply a lightweight foundation?
There’s no set rules, but slow and steady is a good way to go. “The best way is to start with a small amount and build up coverage as needed,” says Harolds. “You can use a makeup brush or a sponge, but I prefer using my fingers to blend the foundation evenly onto the skin,” he adds. Naoko agrees. “Fingertips or a foundation brush both work really well. On myself I always use my fingers but on a client I like to use a brush for a seamless finish,” she says.